O3 Bistro & Lounge

I would’ve given this place like 4 stars but I just couldn’t. We went here this past weekend for a birthday dinner and our dinner was ruined because two girls were fighting while we were eating our dinner. They had some kind of love triangle between them and one of the employees there. Never again will I ever go there. This is a business so the employees should take their drama somewhere else.

**This review is only for the drinks**
Joined my wife and her girlfriend for a drink or two last night around 8:30pm. My drink of choice is a classic sidecar made with Hennessy. So I went up to the bar and asked if they can make my sidecar with Hennessy, she responded, we already do that. Perfect!
As she was making my drink, i noticed, she poured Courvoisier with her back towards me. So i asked loudly, I thought you were making a sidecar with Hennessy? She turned around and said this drink is not yours…
Ok, fair enough. As i continued to see her every move in making that drink, she «started» on my drink. (Btw, the first drink she made, she threw away) she correctly pour the right one this time.
She did not taste the drink before presenting it so i thought she got it down. As tasted the drink, it was very sour! I brought back the drink and asked if you can taste it and remake it for me.
This is what ruffed my feathers… she poured the drink back into the shaker and added more triple sec!!! I didn’t that same drink! I wanted you to remake the whole thing.
She was unprofessional and didn’t give a crap about customer service, let alone know how to bartend.
I WILL NEVER GOING BACK AND WILL LET OTHERS KNOW THERE ARE WAAAAAAAAAAAY BETTER PLACES TO GRAB A DECENT DRINK.

Excellent Thai SE Asia restaurant
Great service, nice wine list and great Thai dishes w a twist! Décor very hip too! Going to symphony hall after dinner– couldn’t have done better for dinner!

Happy hour at O3 is decent. There’s a good selection of things for you to much on while drinking away. They also don’t give you the watered down version of drinks during happy hour either because I felt pretty happy after my first drink.
We pretty much ordered the entire happy hour menu. However, they did get our order for wrong twice when it came to the squid. I’m not sure how much was lost in translation but squid became bbq beef skewers twice. Yikes! Regardless, I liked the oysters with the fish and hoisin sauce. It was different but enjoyable. Chicken wings were basic and nothing to write home about. It did its job in soaking up the alcohol. Ditto for the fries!
Main dishes I tried were the coconut based soup with what felt like tons of mushrooms. I believe the name was tom kha gai. The pad see ew was okay but not the best I’ve had. I was surprised the pork larb we ordered came out pretty warm. It was different but in a good way.
The actual location is relatively nice and there is a sectional couch for the larger groups to lounge in. I can see lots of people working in the area making this a frequent spot.

This review is for a large party of around 20! I was very impressed by the service of this place and their ability to accommodate such a large group even on a Friday night. We made a reservation for 20 on Wednesday of the same week and they still had this space available for us to reserve (even though it was so last minute!)
We got there right at 7:30 and our tables were ready for us! They didn’t require all of the party to be there before they seated us, so that was nice! Since we were such a large group, the had 2 tables of 10 right next to each other. I was a little disappointed that the tables weren’t pushed together, but in hindsight, it was definitely better this way. A different server handled each table so the service was much more efficient.
The drinks were great and some had unique thai twists to them! The food was decent, nothing super special. They even let us bring our own cake to cut and didn’t charge us extra! If you’re looking for a place to host a large dinner party, this is your place!

I think they should get better ratings than what I’m seeing on here.
–Hip, clean, modern décor with a thai feel to it.
–Has happy hour. Great for after work.
–Lot of space!
–Good thai dishes and flaming pot of soup!
–Friendly service
Thank you O3 for a great time and a great place

pretty good thai food in downtown SF. the ambiance is classy and modern, but not TOO fancy which is a delicate balance to strike. I went with a party of six and they were able to easily accommodate our reservation on a saturday night. I ordered the yellow curry with chicken and potatoes along with a side of brown rice. I asked for the curry to be made a tad spicy, and they hit the nail on the head spot on. the food was perfect. I usually get red curry, but think I may have to switch bandwagons, because they set the bar quite high for yellow curry. Will be sure to return next time I’m in the mood for Thai food w/​flair. +1 for being easy on the pockets as well.

4.5 stars because of service and the food. The staff took care of us and the waitress I’m assuming was the assistant manager or something has that friendly face every business needs. She was the one that confirmed my 5pm reservation when we arrived. Many thanks to Kurt C. for the recommendations!
I arrived 15 minutes early for our four person reservation before they opened and the staff was still cleaning up. Luckily the door was open and they allowed us to take a seat in the waiting area. Five minutes later, we were seated comfortably perusing the menu, making note of any changes to add to the order list I created two nights ago. They have yellow curry with chicken and potatoes! It wasn’t on the online menu. Disappointed they didn’t have the grilled rib eye app that night.
*crispy shrimp rolls in wonton wrapper $ 9
I’d recommend these. Served with sweet and sour sauce.
*spring rolls with shrimp $ 9 were standard, sauce wasn’t peanut butter, instead had chili flakes
*shrimp fried rice $ 13.50 disappeared so fast I almost didn’t see them take the plate away, a must for Thai dining
*sizzling seafood platter $ 18 with squid, mussels, shrimp, maybe scallops? Wasn’t exactly sizzling, I asked for mild.
*Yellow chicken curry with potatoes $ 12.50 has more visible oil and coconut flavor than most places, but tasted fantastic with plain jasmine rice! The chicken pulled apart effortlessly. Not spicy.
*Coconut green curry with shrimp $ 16.50 is normally spicier than yellow curry. It arrived in an actual coconut with shaved coconut slices in the curry! Tender, not over cooked green beans complimented the shrimp.
*Finale for the night: crispy trout with mango cashew salad stole the show ($ 18). I saw at least two other tables order it. Tastebuds relished in the mix. The mango salad was tossed in a lightly sour coat of spices along with a hint of fish sauce? That’s what it tasted like to me. Highly recommended.
*A large bowl of Jasmine rice is $ 2, made the mistake of ordering 3. Ended up taking home a whole bowl.
Dessert!
Fried bananas with vanilla ice cream and fresh mango with sticky rice! Only $ 4.95 each. Best way to end the experience.
*My water glass was never empty. Refilled four times or more. The ladies are ahead of the game.
Arrive early because the dining area to the left is full by 6pm. The lounge area on the right probably gets packed by 8pm. If anyone’s looking for Asian cuisine after a performance at the Opera House or Symphony Hall, head on over or make a reservation.

Seems like a great bar with lotsa room and comfy couches to get your drunk on with friends.
I don’t think I’d come here for dinner knowing the options of Thai restaurants available in San Francisco. The Pad Thai is a pretty standard dish in the world of Thai food, and I’d give O3 Bistro’s 2 stars because they use pretty thin rice noodles and not much shrimp appeared in the dish. For an appetizer, the chicken skewers were decent — I’d give them 3 out of 5 stars.
Like so many restaurants in San Francisco these days, the staff seemed pretty indifferent to us coming to eat at their restaurant with a pointing in the direction of where we could sit — which, right beside the bar, turned out to suck terribly for a couple of folks who want to have dinner without overhearing discussions of erectile dysfunction medicines and one nights stands from other patrons.
Meh … I work nearby and if I come back, it’ll be as a group party thing. Otherwise, can’t think of a reason to not go elsewhere for good thai food and more pleasant environment.

Been here twice now and think there are few places in the Civic Center/​Hayes Valley that I enjoy more. We originally tried O3 because it had seating available at a particular time and was near our end destination, whereas there were few other reservations to be had at our usual spots. Because we had read both positive and negative assessments of food and service, we had a bit of trepidation. No reason for the trepidation, it turns out.
On the first occasion, both food and service were exemplary. Our party of three started with pork larb, which included perfectly cooked ground pork, and a pair of very toothsome and flavorful Laotian sausages. Entrees were lamb chops with peanut sauce, a generous portion of lovely lean, tender, and flavorful meat at the modest price; the Laotian stew, which was the weak item on the table because the sauce was thin and not very distinctive; and the duck noodles, which were a tad greasy but otherwise absolutely delicious. With extremely fresh, perfectly-​cooked spicy string beans and both brown and white rice, we had plenty to take home afterwards. Service was unobtrusive but attentive. No complaints. Dishes arrived quickly enough for us to make our next destination, but there was no rush. Prices were more than fair, with the lamb being the most expensive dish at $ 19 for four meaty chops on a bed of vegetables.
We returned to O3 last night as a party of four. Since we’d ordered too much the previous time, we ordered a bit less this time, reprising some of the same dishes and trying a couple of new ones. We started with a green papaya salad that was delicious, but surprisingly spicy. As an appetizer, we had the sausages again. This time, however, they seemed slightly drier and perhaps a bit overcooked compared to the first time; they remain unlike any other sausages I’ve ever had and well worth ordering again. The lamb chops were as perfect as the first time except that the portion was smaller; technically, we got four chops again, but two thin ones were joined into a «larger» one, resulting in a serving that fed three not four. The duck noodles again were delicious but a bit on the greasy side. Finally, we ordered pork with string beans, which was nearly perfect; the pork was tender, the string beans were fresh as could be, and the seasoning was just right, but there was a bit of an oily residue at the bottom of the plate that might turn off some delicate palates. Again, we had both brown and white rice. Service was extremely courteous and competent. With a Thai iced coffee and two ginger beers, the cost of the meal, with tax and a tip, was about $ 95, which is less than you’d pay for your own meal at several of the hipper places in the vicinity.
I really enjoyed our meals here and look forward to returning. This is a worthwhile spot for an unusual take on Thai food, in good portions and at reasonable prices.

Not a fan. Have gotten takeout here a couple times, and most recent time my «large» soup order was so small that I called to tell them they gave me the wrong soup, and they told me that that was the new ‘large’ size. It was legitimately a cup of soup for $ 13 or so. It’s good, but overpriced and not satisfactory for a meal. I think in restaurant portions are larger, but there’s always an issue with having something in stock, forgetting something, waiting too long for order. Again, food ends up being satisfactory, but overpriced and bad service.

Had a Groupon that was about expire in s month and finely made an effort to come to this place to check it out. The place and the ambiance is very nice. It’s a fusion food between Lao & Thailand. The staff (waitress, services etc.) were super nice, very polite and knowledgeable. A actually I would give an extra half star for service. Now, let’s talk about food, we ordered #17, crispy shrimp rolls wrapped in wonton skin (see pic), it was actually very good. Now let’s get to the main course, ordered #32 (southern Thai ribeye beef with peppercorn, rhizome and Thai eggplant. It was ok, just average Thai beef curry. We also ordered #35 (steamed catfish), did not like it at all, it was very salty and don’t think was made fresh. The server humbly explained that it was made as Lao style & it’s rather salty. Had ice cream with fried banana to conclude our dinner, it was delicious. Prices were just average!
The place needs to improve food taste and quality, it could be a 4 stars. Hope the review and pics are helpful!

Went with a friend for lunch on a Friday and was very disappointed. I ordered the Pork belly with Chinese broccoli and the pork belly was dry, hard and flavorless. My friend ordered the Pineapple fried rice with shrimp and the shrimp was over cooked, the best thing about their dish was that the fried rice itself was prepared extremely well.
This is also not a place to go to have a conversation since the noise level gets extremely high with just half the tables taken. BART can actually be quitter that his place.

The food here is delicious but the way they do business is a little shady. You do not get a server and have to find one whenever you need anything. But more importantly, they overcharged us and when we pointed it out to them they charged us MORE.
When trying to explain the situation to them, they wouldn’t back down. Ended up giving us two more glasses of wine to try to appease us. At least that saved the night almost kind of not really…

Great delicious food but service is slow (may be a language barrier). We presented several dishes appetizers and full lunch meals. And all portions were generous. The Crying tiger appetizer was beefy and sauce was sweet with enough savory to make it perfect. Ialso tries the fries shrimp egg rolls and they were also delightful. The pieCe du resistance was the Coconut curry noodles and spare ribs that were TdF (to die for), only thing was the spare ribs were boneY but they were very tasty.

I went here for a USC Asian alumni mixer. I paid a $ 20 ticket for appetizers and a drink. I got a non-​alcoholic lychee juice. I also paid extra for a ginger ale that was not good. I had a load of the appetizers that were delicious like crab rangoon, shrimp rolls, chicken wings, and beef and chicken skewers. The space is nice for events. It’s super Asian in there.

This restaurant has a great atmosphere and food but the absolute worst service I have ever experienced in San Francisco.
We came here with a group for a birthday and didn’t get menus for 20 mins. We did not have a drink or water in front of us for 35 min. Checks took 30 min to close. Not to mention there are only two other tables in the gigantic restaurant. Too bad.

As soon as we arrived, we were greeted, and seated immediately, waitresses were nice, restaurant was empty and clean. Food arrived with in 15 to 20 minutes, food was delicious, the only problem is, it’s empty and doesnt have a restaurant atmosphere.

I can only score their Pad Thai because that’s the only dish I’ve tried so far.
It would have been great if they didn’t put too much sauce and added a bit more fried egg. But I liked how the added deep friend battered shrimp besides the saluted ones.
Liked the fried tofu in it.
Loved the hot tea Numi Organic Breakfast blend.
Ambienc is so perfect!
I wouldn’t mind coming back for other dishes to try :)
My 2^nd visit earliest. Tried their appetizers & they are delicious! My co-​worker treated so not sure if price was good enough for the serving size.

A wonderful dining experience here with the family for my mom’s 55^th birthday ~
We started off with the Grilled Beef Balls ($ 7.95), Ko Moo Yang ($ 9.95), some Fresh Spring Rolls ($ 7.95), & the Crying Tiger ($ 9.95), which was my favorite out of the four — ribeye beef slices, served w/​rice powder dipping sauce ~ perfectly grilled & seasoned, paired beautifully with that sweet & savory dip.
For our main entrées, we ordered Tom Kha ($ 10.95), Charbroiled Lamb ($ 17.95), Spicy String Beans ($ 11.95), Pad Cha Seafood ($ 14.95), & the Crispy Pork Belly ($ 12.95).
The highlights:
Mango Trout ($ 16.95) — whole crispy boneless trout, topped w/​a mango cashew nut salad.
Pineapple Shrimp Curry ($ 13.95) — red curry w/​shrimp, pineapple, onion, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, carrot, & Thai basil.
Lastly, we ended the night with their Sticky Rice w/​Mango & Fried Banana w/​Ice Cream ($ 4.95 each) — it’s just so difficult to go home w/​o that sweet topping to cap it all off.
Awesome service, delicious food, and quite a memorable time with the most beautiful birthday celebrant. Not as good as your cooking, Ma (never!), but it was close!